Clinical researchers doing clinical researcher things

A showdown with sparkle – the 2025 Clinical Researcher of the Year Awards ceremony takes off! John Pinching reports

If you thought clinical research was all spreadsheets and serious faces, think again. The finals and gala of the Clinical Researcher of the Year – The Americas duly transformed the Sheraton Imperial Hotel into a dazzling cocktail of brainpower, banter and brilliance.

Eighty-one individual finalists and 12 team contenders strutted their scientific stuff after months of fierce competition (maximum respect to Syneos Health for being such genial hosts of these awards).

Make no mistake, we weren’t just witnessing any professionals – they were the crème de la clinical crème, having survived written challenges, category shake-ups and the ever-watchful eye of the Executive Steering Group (also known as the ‘Avengers of clinical research’).

This year’s twist? A brand-new category for Clinical Trial Administrators. Whether you’ve been wrangling protocols for six months or six years, this was your moment to shine. And let’s not forget the CRA category, now split into three tiers – novice, intermediate and experienced – because let’s face it, monitoring trials is not a one-size-fits-all gig.

The categories read like a who’s who of clinical excellence: Clinical Research Co-ordinator, Decentralized Solutions Individual of the Year, Clinical Trial Manager, Global Project Manager and the ever-mysterious Start Up Single. Team categories brought the drama too, with Global Project Team, Global Partnership Team and Start Up Team finalists waiting nervously for their moment in the spotlight.

The atmosphere? Electric. The outfits? Impressive. The competition? Fierce but friendly. You could practically hear the neurons firing as finalists mingled, exchanged tour stories and tried not to spill champagne on their name badges.

As the evening unfolded, one thing was clear – this wasn’t just a celebration of clinical research – it was a celebration of the people who make it and, indeed, things happen.